CHAPTER 12 Revised April 4, 2016

SIGNING AND SEALING

OF PROFESSIONAL

SURVEY

DELIVERABLES

Chapter Contents

Sec. 12.01 Introduction

Sec. 12.02 Business & Legal Purpose For Signing And Sealing

Survey Products

Sec. 12.03 Engineering/Topographic Surveys

Sec. 12.04 Right-of-Way, Boundary And Easement Surveys

Sec. 12.05 Construction Surveys

Sec. 12.06 Survey Information Not Requiring A Seal Or

Signature

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Sec. 12.01 Introduction

The purpose of the VDOT Survey Program Area is to provide accurate and complete survey

information, which meets legally required minimum standards and can be utilized for design,

right-of-way and construction efforts. The creation of survey plan base, the platting of rights-of-

way and easements, and the monumentation of right-of-way limits falls under the responsibility

and purview of professional land surveyors. This chapter establishes new processes, streamlines

existing processes and addresses issues that will bring VDOT into compliance with the Code of

Virginia with respect to the professional practice of land surveying. This chapter is a general

plan to focus attention on these areas of practice within the Department, to aid management in

scheduling and budgeting resources for successful implementation and to assure compliance with

both the Code of Virginia and Department policies and procedures.

Sec. 12.02 Business and Legal Purpose for Signing and Sealing Survey Products

In accordance with the Chief Engineer’s directives, beginning July 1, 2009, all new VDOT

surveys, deliverables and services listed and described in this chapter and the current VDOT

L&D IIM-243 “Sealing and Signing of Plans and Documents”, shall be sealed and signed by a

surveyor, licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The work shall be performed by, or under

the direct supervision of, a land surveyor in good standing, licensed in the Commonwealth of

Virginia. The survey products and services shall meet applicable APELSCIDLA minimum

standards and regulations and shall follow procedures and practices established in the

Department’s Survey Manual.

VDOT requires that all plans and documents are to be signed with ACES (Access Certificates for

Electronic Services) Business Representatives Digital Certificates. These certificates are

purchased from IdenTrust, LLC, and supplied to VDOT staff. For information regarding the

application of these products refer to VDOT’s CADD Manual Appendix F.

Sec. 12.02.1 Description of Work and Guidance

These services consist of performing records research, field work and office computations that

ultimately provide certified professionally surveyed information to the Department for its use in

evaluating and ascertaining an area for its suitability for transportation purposes, construction or

for any other purpose incidental thereto. Safety in the field is paramount therefore; all work

zones shall conform to the VDOT Work Zone Safety Protection Manual.

Sec. 12.02.2 Materials Necessary to Provide Services

Survey work shall be performed using calibrated, modern surveying equipment, combined with

practices and procedures that ensure applicable accuracy requirements are met. All work shall

be authorized by the respective District Survey Manager (VDOT employees) or State Survey

Program Manager (limited services consultants) with a written notice to proceed and anticipated

delivery date. The limits of the area and/or identified facilities requiring survey information

shall be identified as the result of a scoping meeting or field site review.

Rev. 7/15

12-2

Sec. 12.02.3 Application of Survey Seal

These survey products will follow the guidelines outlined in the electronic submission guides

and contain the surveyor’s electronic seal, digital signature and certification statement(s) when

necessary. These products may contain notes and statements, by the professional, that define

what the product represents and what it does not. The Survey Cell Library contains sample

notes for modification and insertion into the CADD file product. These survey products are

deliverables contained within the MicroStation CADD environment. The surveyor shall affix his

seal in the proximity of the Title Block portion of the survey file as depicted Figure 12-A.

Additionally, the surveyor shall include general notes pertaining to the representation of the

survey in the same proximity of his seal. In the case of specific notes, the surveyor shall place

these in proximity to the areas of concern that require attention. Digital signatures are to be

placed with ACES (Access Certificates for Electronic Services) Business Representatives Digital

Certificates.

Sec. 12.03 Engineering/Topographic Surveys

The majority of this work occurs after project scoping, once funding is authorized, and is

delivered at various periods prior to the Plan Coordination Review stage as depicted in the

VDOT Project Development Process.

Sec. 12.03.1 Professional Surveying Services & Responsibilities

The application of the professional’s seal, electronic signature, and date shall be evidence that

the survey meets the minimum requirements of DPOR’s APELSCIDLA regulations, is an

accurate representation of the existing site and ownership conditions on that date for the area of

concern, and correct to the best of the professional’s knowledge, information, and belief on that

date for:

a. Location Surveys

These types of surveys shall conform to Chapter 4 of the VDOT Survey Manual, titled,

“Location Surveys”. These surveys include and encompass ownership of record,

compiled title evidence, topography, planimetry, drainage information, subsurface

utilities and base survey control. These surveys are requested to obtain information

pertaining to wetland identification and mitigation and bridge site surveys. Survey

updates will be evaluated during the Detailed Design phase of the VDOT project plan

process. Updates are critical to the successful completion of the plan, all survey and sue

information will be evaluated to see if it warrants updating the survey or sue information.

If consultants or VDOT personnel are being used on the project, the same party should be

used to complete the project through setting monumentation at the completion of

construction if available by contract. If the original consultant is not available, it is

imperative that the Project Manager and District Survey Manager determine who will be

responsible for signing and sealing the plans.

Rev. 4/16

12-3

b. Photogrammetric Surveys

These types of surveys shall conform to Chapter 5 of the VDOT Survey Manual, titled,

“Photogrammetric Surveys”.

c. Hydraulic Surveys

These types of surveys shall conform to Chapter 7 of the VDOT Survey Manual, titled,

“Hydraulic Surveys”. These surveys are requested for the specific purpose of hydrologic

and hydraulic opening evaluation and engineering. The VDOT Survey Manual

establishes the methods and criteria to achieve the desired result. This section of the

Manual contains guidance for the performance of Bridge Situation surveys and

deliverables.

Sec. 12.04 Right-of-Way, Boundary and Easement Surveys

The majority of this work occurs after the Design Approval phase as depicted in the VDOT

Project Development Process but before the Project Advertisement phase. This work requires

good communication and coordination between Survey and Design team members during the

project.

Sec. 12.04.1 Description of Work and Guidance

On October 28, 2009, the Department presented the DPOR with a letter entitled “Virginia

Department of Transportation – Documents Required to be Signed and Sealed” outlining the

documents to be signed and sealed.

On July 17, 2012, the Department sent an updated document to clarify the use of the right of way

plan sheet, monumentation be set and the timing for setting final monumentation. The LS/PE

board met on August 16, 2012 and accepted the clarification. On September 25, 2012, the full

APELSCIDLA met and accepted the clarification letter.

L & D Survey and Right of Way have agreed upon the following work products and

documentation includes:

The Right-of-Way Section will record each acquisition recordation instrument with a

right of way plan sheet for partial takes and a plat for total take parcels per the Right-of-

Way Manual. Additional plats may be necessary and will be provided on an as needed

basis.

The right-of-way plan sheet or plat will be referenced in the conveyance documents.

The Survey Section will provide acreage for fee take, permanent and temporary

easements at the appraisal stage.

The Right-of-Way Section will pay landowners for the replacement of lot corners.

VDOT or a consultant will be responsible for setting the right of way corners once

construction is complete.

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Sec. 12.04.2 Professional Surveying Services & Responsibilities – January 1, 2013

Right of Way Plan Sheets -

Right-of-Way Division and the Location and Design have agreed to utilize a right of way plan

sheet to acquire properties.

This will be a collaborative effort by the design teams and the survey teams. Communication is

the key to the success of this process.

Design Team responsibilities:

a. The design team will create the master right of way design file.

The master Right of Way design file will only have the line work for proposed

right of way and easements that is referenced into the master roadway design

files.

b. After UFI is reached and comments are addressed the Design team will create a RW file

for each plan sheet in the R folder. At the discretion of the Project Manager and District

Survey Manager, these may be created at FI so Survey can proceed with checking and

sheet setup.

Permissions will be restricted to Survey staff only for the R and O folders after

UFI. The Design teams will provide the GEOPAK GPK files that have the

alignment data so GEOPAK can be used to annotate the stations and offsets.

c. The handoff from Design to Survey shall be documented so each team understands their

responsibilities.

d. The Design team will coordinate any changes to the SPO and Right of way design files

through Survey after the handoff. Major revisions to the Right of way design files will

be completed by the design teams and resubmitted to Survey.

Survey Team responsibilities:

a. The Survey team is responsible for master right of way design file, right of way data

sheet and SPO file from the handoff until Ad. Any changes to this line work through the

checking or annotation process should be communicated back to the PM and the design

team so all reference files can be updated. RW sheets will be provided to Survey by the

Design team per Chapter 5 in the CADD manual and should match the plan sheets.

Survey will turn off all design information from the RW sheet except for proposed right

of way and easements for clarity.

b. All existing monumentation, owners information, and boundary data should be shown

and referenced to the construction centerline. Prescriptive easements will be shown

graphically only. The typical notes should be added to the sheet and all references to

sheet numbers should be corrected to RW this includes match line references.

c. VDOT Monuments should be shown on the applicable RW sheets and labeled.

Rev. 4/16

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d. All angle breaks should be annotated using plus and offsets for the proposed right of way

and proposed easements. A plus and offset legend will be shown on the sheet. The

perimeter of the new proposed right of way will be shown with metes and bounds

sufficient to close the right of way, tie lines may be necessary.

e. All proposed right of way will be labeled on the sheet. All easements will be labeled for

their respective uses.

f. All Right of way takes, existing prescriptive easement and proposed easement areas shall

be shown the RW sheet in table format per parcel. The table will specify the areas for

each different easement use. Areas less than 1 acre will be shown in square feet (x,xxx )

and areas greater than 1 acre will be shown in acres(X.XXX acres) to three decimal

places.

g. On each sheet, two points on the construction centerline will be labeled with the project

coordinate values. The construction centerline will show all tangent and curve data

shown on the plan sheet. Roads will be labeled with Route numbers and names.

h. The Surveyor of Record will be responsible for setting right-of-way break points along

the perimeter of the proposed right of way after construction is complete.

Example sheets have been provided. See Figure 12-C and Figure 12-D.

Please reference Chapter 5 of the CADD manual for more specific details.

All submissions will follow the Electronic Plan Submission Process Reference and Right of

Way Submission Guides shown below.

Electronic Plan Flow Chart

http://www.extranet.vdot.state.va.us/locdes/reference-guides/ElectronicPlan_Submission.pdf

Right of Way Submission Tier 1 & Tier 2

http://www.virginiadot.org/business/locdes/Right_of_way_partial_take.asp

Metes and Bounds Surveys

These types of surveys shall conform to Chapter 6 of the VDOT Survey Manual, titled, “Metes

and Bounds Surveys and Section 5.6.6-5.6.9 in the Right of Way Manual of Instructions. These

surveys, also referred to as Boundary Surveys or Metes and Bounds Surveys, represent an

extensive effort beyond a typical location survey, to identify and delineate record title lines of a

parcel of interest to VDOT.

Sec. 12.04.3 Plat Process prior to January 1, 2013.

Right-of-Way Acquisition Plats Note: This process is only available for projects prior to January 1, 2013 that have been

started using individual plats. All projects after January 1, 2013 will use the RW plan

sheet. Plats will be needed for total takes and special properties.

Rev. 4/16

12-6

Right-of-Way Division and Location and Design agreed in 2010 to a pilot program to utilize the

Survey Section to develop right-of-way acquisition plats for use in acquiring fee property and/or

interest in property for transportation purposes. The plat shall contain a note that it is produced

from compiled data, and will contain the fee take, all easements and applicable minimum

requirements as required by DPOR’s APELSCIDLA regulations. The plat shall meet the State

Library standards for recordation. Preliminary plat preparation shall begin after all Utility Field

Inspection comments have been incorporated into the project plans.

By sealing and signing the product, the land surveyor is testifying that the information shown

and depicted in the Right-of-Way Acquisition Plat is a representation of the existing field and

ownership conditions on that date for the area of concern, it is produced from compiled sources

of data and that the survey meets the minimum requirements of DPOR’s APELSCIDLA

regulations pertaining to boundary or compilation surveys and plats of record. Please refer to

Figure 12-B for a sample Right-of-Way Acquisition Plat.

Bearings and Distances are the controlling elements for acquisition plats. Stations and

offsets are shown on the plat to tie the plat to the project baseline controls (Provide a

minimum of 2 points). Plats shall reference the VDOT project number, UPC number

parcel number and the corresponding plan sheet associated with these project controls and

plusses and offsets. Plats shall clearly show calculated areas of right-of-way and/or each

easement type required to construct the project.

As part of plat development, recordation and prior to the commencement of construction, The

Surveyor of Record will be responsible for setting right-of-way break points and points of

intersection between the new right-of-way and existing property lines. Such break points

will be shown on the acquisition plats. VDOT will no longer pay the affected property owners

for the placement of these points when right of way plats are used.

Sec. 12.05 Construction Surveys

The majority of this work occurs after the Project Advertisement phase as depicted in the VDOT

Project Development.

Sec. 12.05.1 Professional Surveying Services & Responsibilities

All survey work shall adhere to the minimum specifications and guidance as referenced in the

current Road and Bridge Specifications (Sections 105.13 and 517) and Chapters 8 and 9 of the

VDOT Survey Manual and Sec. 12.02

Rev. 4/16

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Sec. 12.06 Survey Information Not Requiring a Seal or Signature

Asset management surveys, or those surveys that are for purely quantitative purposes (i.e.

measuring linear feet of guardrail, number of signs, etc.) will not require a seal or signature

unless deemed necessary by the requestor. Information secured by surveyors that does not depict

critical elevations or planimetric locations, modeled existing conditions or boundary evidence are

not required to be sealed and signed.

Information not listed above that is contained within the Chapter Contents section of Chapter 8

of the VDOT Survey Manual will not require sealing and signing unless specifically requested.

IIM-LD-243 Signing and Sealing

http://www.virginiadot.org/business/locdes/rd-ii-memoranda-index.asp

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Figure 12-A

Sample Location of Seal and Signature in MicroStation File

(Note: Digital Signature is embedded in the MicroStation Cell

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Figure 12-B

Sample Right-of-Way Acquisition Plat

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Figure 12-C Sample Right-of-Way Plan

Line Weights have been turned off for clarity.

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Figure 12-D

Sample Right-of-Way Plan